How to Avoid Microplastics and Products I Recommend
Even though we’re still learning about the impacts of microplastics, the research on their possible adverse health effects means that it’s probably worth avoiding them.
So let’s continue with this topic. You can read the first part of the newsletter with the essential information here.
In this follow-up newsletter I’ll cover WAYS to avoid microplastics and some of the products/gear I recommend for avoiding them.
A reader asked about tap water, so let’s start there.
The question arises as to how much microplastic and nanoplastic is in tap water, and it turns out there’s quite a lot of it. It varies according to location, but there are ways that you can get those microplastics and nanoplastics out of your tap water.
The best way turns out to be a little bit expensive and that’s using a reverse osmosis filter. Reverse osmosis filters will get rid of all the microplastics and nanoplastics. It will also remove some key minerals from the water so you’ll have to remineralize that water.
I also received a question about eating SALT.
Best to use Himalayan sea salt or the pink salt from non-marine sources.
It’s a bit more salty, especially if you’re eating a really clean diet. If you’re hydrating very well, focus on something like pink Himalayan salt or salt that comes from a nonmarine source. You would do well to avoid sea salt and get your salt from those other sources. You’ll lower your exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics.
Liver health is important because it’s an organ of detoxification. The liver’s ability to break down and remove toxins from your body is crucial. Increase your intake of something called sulphoraphane, which is present in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. There is enough sulphoraphane in cruciferous vegetables such that you could eat reasonable amounts and you wouldn’t have to overeat cruciferous vegetables in order to get this enhancement of liver detoxification processes.
A few other quick tips for handling microplastics in your system.
1. Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber is good for everything, right?
2. Avoid carbonated water. There are chemicals in the water.
3. Avoid microwave popcorn.
4. SWEATING is good. Become a big fan of saunas.
This is important. One new and groundbreaking study discovered that 58 percent of patients undergoing heart surgery had microplastics in their heart plaque. Critically, the presence of microplastics in the heart was linked to a 4.5-fold increase in death, heart attack, or stroke.
The research suggests microplastics may also impact our brains, liver, lungs, and reproductive systems and increase our risk of certain cancers.
Of course, this is a budding field of inquiry and we need to know much more. It could just turn out that people who ingest more microplastics have all sorts of other habits that lead to their health problems.
But when the level of effort to avoid a possible harm is low, you might as well avoid it, right?
Enter these 3 suggestions!
1. A steel water bottle + metal straw
My pick: Stanley Quencher 40oz + Metal Straws
Drinking bottled water instead of tap delivers an extra 90,000 microplastics into your body per year, according to one study.
So it makes sense to drink less plastic bottled water and instead use a refillable steel bottle.
There are a hundred options that all hold water. So you probably don’t need to overthink this. But I like the Stanley Quencher 40oz because:
• I’m basic.
• The water doesn’t run through a plastic mouthpiece (the top is plastic, but the water doesn’t touch it).
• The 40oz size means I have enough water for a challenging workout. (For the uber-thirsty, Stanley makes a 64oz version)
• I drink more and avoid clumsily spilling on myself if I drink through a straw.
Note: The Stanley comes with a plastic straw, so just swap yours out for steel straws.
You can get a five pack on Amazon for $8.
2. A water filter
My pick: Lifestraw Glass Filter
You just learned that tap water contains fewer microplastics than bottled. Good!
But tap water also contains some microplastics and other contaminants, the level depending on your local water source.
Filter if you want to be cautious.
But here’s a funny thing about filters: It’s not easy finding one that’s plastic-free. Britta, the big name in the space, is entirely plastic.
Traveler+ makes some plastic-free countertop filters. But they’re huge and seemingly built for a construction crew or football team.
I settled on a glass LifeStraw filter. The water pitcher is glass, but the filter itself is plastic. I’m OK with that, though, because the filtration reports show the product removes microplastics, suggesting no transfer.
3. Polar Seltzer water
In a test of nine different drinks ranging from bottled water to Gatorade to iced tea, Polar seltzer water had the fewest microplastics—by far.
It registered zero nanograms of microplastics. All other drink brands included anywhere from 1,700 to 7,500 nanograms of microplastics.
We covered how microplastics are often a function of where a drink was bottled. So it may just have been a particularly clean day at the Polar canning plant. But in any case, many folks LOVE seltzer water and zero is zero.
If you have other products you use to mitigate the effects of microplastics in your body and life, let me know. I’m always open to suggestions!
Until next month, be well and stay healthy!
shelli
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